The Southern Transitional Council said Aidarous al-Zubaidi remained in Aden “to ensure security.” It also accused Saudi Arabia of launching deadly airstrikes in Yemen.

Saudi-led forces struck an Emirati shipment early Tuesday, worsening tensions between the once-close allies. The Saudis said the shipment had arms for a separatist group, which the Emiratis denied.

When the United Arab Emirates withdrew its troops from Yemen last week under a deadline from Saudi Arabia, it also left behind the remote Yemeni island of Socotra and the roughly 600 tourists who had flown in but could no longer fly out.

Comments come amid widening differences between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, once close partners.

The UAE announced it's ending its military presence in Yemen after its close ally, Saudi Arabia, bombed separatists backed by the UAE.

Saudi-backed troops on Saturday made advances in Yemen's resource-rich Hadramawt province, military officials said, as confrontations between forces backed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have triggered a